Electric-railway conduit



(No Model.)

A. BECK.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY GONDUIT.

No. 553,552. Patented Jan. 28, 1896.

' as A- @MLZLJA 5mm 62m ALEXANDER EIEEK.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER BECK, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY CONDUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,552, dated January 28, 1896.

Application filed November 2, 1894. Serial No. 527,771. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER BEoK,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton, State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Railway Conduits, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an electric conduit, of simple and cheap construction, all of whose parts are readily accessible. I attain this object by use of the parts shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a section on the line a b, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a part plan of the construction with the stonework or masonry removed, also a portion of the surfaceplate removed. Fig. 2 is aside view with masonry removed.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The conduit proper consists of a number of frames A secured one to the other by means of continuous bars B riveted on each side of the frames. The bars B are of suflicient length to form a convenient length of section for handling.

A sewer G is laid along the center of the railway-track, and of such depth that the top of the conduit will be flush with the street paving when the frame A is placed on top of the sewer O, as shown in Fig. 1.

The sides of the frames A are closed with stone or masonry and the top covered with surface-plates D E of convenient length. The plate E is secured rigidly to frames A and plate D is loosely laid on the frame, so that it may be removed when desired. A slot F is left between the inner edges of plates D and E, through which the trolley-arm passes. The slot F is made in the conduit-frame near one side of same. Midway between the slot F and the other side of conduit is riveted a bar H of a length equal to one section of the conduit. At intervals along this bar a strip of insulating material I is placed upon which the ear J is placed. The trolley wire or conductor K is secured to this supporting-ear J.

A piece of hard insulating material L is let into each side of the trolley-arm G where it comes in contact with the edges of the slot F. The trolley-wheel bearing M is secured to the arm G by means of a nut O. The trolleywheel N may thus be taken off without distu'rbin g the arm G or its connections with the car.

The trolley wire or conductorK is charged in the usual manner and the current is taken from the wire K through the wheel N, bearing M and arm G, thence to a pointnear or at the center of the car and to motors.

The slot F in conduit is placed near one side in order to remove the trolley wire and wheel as far as possible from the water, 850., that enters the conduit through the slot.

WVhatever enters the conduit through the slot or otherwise falls into the sewer O and is carried into city sewers by means of connections between them.

The conduit may be opened for inspection or repairs by removing the surfaceplate D.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In an electric conduit, a series of metallic frames A provided with slots or openings in their tops, bars B secured to the frames, the plate E, rigidly secured to the top of the frames upon one side of the slot, and the plates D, removably applied to the top of the frame upon the opposite side of the slot, which plates are provided with vertical flanges upon their edges, for the purpose of holding them in position upon the frames, and serving as a guide for the waste water; combined with the masonry which forms the sides of the conduit, the sewer which forms a supportfor the frames, and a trolley wire support arranged upon the frames A above the sewer and out of alignment with the slot, the parts being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown and described.

ALEXANDER BECK. Witnesses:

A. JEssoP, J. S. HOPKINS. 

